


Banished from Death

by KeeperofSeeds



Category: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (Video Game), TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Sharing a Body, Temporary Amnesia, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-21 17:44:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12462708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeeperofSeeds/pseuds/KeeperofSeeds
Summary: This fic was inspired by one of the early game trailers:Story trailer - Banished from Death.. So it takes place in the beginning of the game, before Talion learns Celebrimbor's identity and before they really start learning and experimenting with branding and other fun Wrath powers. Before Talion really understands what it means to be cursed to stay and fight. I played it a bit loose with the canon as this trailer doesn't seem to match up perfectly with the story line you end up playing in the game.





	Banished from Death

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by one of the early game trailers: [Story trailer - Banished from Death ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exDclDyafAw&has_verified=1) .  
> . So it takes place in the beginning of the game, before Talion learns Celebrimbor's identity and before they really start learning and experimenting with branding and other fun Wrath powers. Before Talion really understands what it means to be cursed to stay and fight. I played it a bit loose with the canon as this trailer doesn't seem to match up perfectly with the story line you end up playing in the game.

Talion can feel the poison seeping into him. Every cut of the orc's blade makes his vision swim more, makes his parries more sloppy. The Wraith can only compensate so much for his weakness. An arrow from an unseen archer hits him from behind and sends him to his knees, pain radiating out from his thigh. The last thought he has as the orc's sword plunges into his gut is that maybe now he'll finally get to see his family.

 

 

_We will be together again, soon my love._ He remembers Ioreth's last words as darkness takes him. 

* * *

He wakes in one of the silver towers he'd found, gasping at the air, ragged inhales taking more effort than they should. More than he expected given the sword thrust through his gut he remembers. 

 

 

His hands pull at his tunics, pushing aside layers, feeling for tears and finding nothing. No stain of blood. His hands find skin and find the same. No gaping wound, no black lines of poison left under his skin. He can feel the faintest of scars. It's as if the wound happened ages ago. 

"What is happening to me?" he asks, and the ghostly figure appears before him once more.

"I told you," the deep voice echos out, rolling through his bones. "You are banished from death. We must work together to break this curse. You cannot find peace at the end of a sword." The Wraith glares down at the broken sword resting by Talion's hand. "The Gift of Men will remain out of your reach until we have completed our task."

He waits for Tailon to meet his eyes.

"We must fight."

"We need answers," Talion counters. "We need to learn how to break this curse, and what caused us to be bound together."

The Wraith does not answer, but Talion chooses to take his silence as agreement.  

There is much to learn. He fixes the layers of his armor, and notes the strange new spark of confidence running under his skin. He does not know if it is the Wraith beneath his skin or this newfound knowledge that death is no longer the end for him. He has a purpose for now. That is enough. He will go out into Mordor and continue to to eradicate the enemy within. Now from the ground, instead of stuck on high walls, powerless to act  outside orders. 

"You are your own master now," he hears whispered in the back of his mind. 

He takes a breath and decides to trust this spirit. Taking three steps forward, Talion leaps from the Tower, Dirhael's broken sword clenched in his fist. The Wraith controls their fall.

Shouts draw their attention in the South, and in the distance he can just make out the glow of a fire between the broken stones of the ruins.  
Their new journey, begins now. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I can't get over how interesting Talion and Celebrimbor's relationship might be. The game really doesn't delve that deep into what it might mean to share a body or memories. Or how difficult it must have been for Talion to just wake up and suddenly have this ancient Elf spirit attached to him and not understanding the reality of the situation he's/they're stuck in and to have to face death over and over again but yet live on. I'd totally read some sort of novel for these games but I don't see that happening. But hey, that's the fun of fanfic at least :)


End file.
